Golden Chain to Link the Penitent Sinner Unto Almighty God
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A25381.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
Andrew's Golden Chaine, TO Linke the penitent sinner unto Almighty God. Richly adorned with the ornaments of holy Scripture, which was never in print, nor from any man elsewhere to be had. Newly made in a godly Prayer, taken out of the pure fountain of holy Scripture, very necessary to cure the sick soul of a sinner: and to draw him from desperation if with a believing faith he will daily use it, in prayer unto Almighty God.
London printed for John Wright at the sign of the Bible without Newgate. 1645.
Candido Lectori, Lege, perlege, relege.
RIght Honorable, for God's sake, your own sake, and yours souls sake, peruse this little Book over, for it guides you in the direct way unto Almighty God, and showeth you how to give your heart unto God, and your sins unto Satan, every time you pray with this Prayer.
Andrew's Golden Chaine, TO Linke the Penitent Sinner unto Almighty God.
M Ost Mighty , most Holy , most Righteous , and most merciful God , my sweet Savior , and Physician of my soul , have mercy on me thou that art full of pity and compassion , rich unto all which call upon thee for mercy , and never forsakest them that put their trust in thee , again and again have mercy on me, here I bow the very knees of my heart unto thee O God, and with sighs, groans, and fears bewail my sins , beseeching thee with all humility to cure my wounded and distressed soul.
O give my heart true repentance, my spirit contrition, and mine eyes a fountain of tears to weep for my sins.
O Lord my God , I am sick with sin , and thou art my Physician , I am dead, but thou art my life , and although I am but earth and ashes, yet give me grace to seek for thy mercies .
O Lord, I know thy hand is not shortened that it cannot save , neither is thine ear heavy that it cannot hear . but it is my sins, my sins, my unrepented sins , that have separated between this vanishing estate of mine and thine eternity .
O Lord I beseech thee for thy son Jesus Christ his sake to incline thine ear and hear, open O Lord, thine eyes and see , Oh behold the vehemency of my praying, and forgive me, O forgive me, and blot all thy sins out of thy remmembrance .
Here, O Lord my God , with all humility I prostrate myself before my majesty pouring out my tears for my sins, and praying on my knees like Daniel , weeping for mine offenses like David , crying like Isaiah , roar out my grief like Job , and rent my heart with the penitent , lament with Peter , sorrow with Mary , and cry out unto thee O Lord my God , with the Jews, O what shall I do to be saved .
Oh therefore now hear me, and help me, O Lord lest I perish in my wickedness .
Saint Peters wives mother received thee O Christ, and thou curedst her , Zacchaeus did but entertain thee, and thou O God bestowedst salvation upon him , Saint Peter which denied, and forswear thee, went for his sins, and was pardoned .
Mary Magdalene which had many legions of devils, with tears of unfeigned repentance was absolved, and made a Temple of the Holy Ghost : And although my sins, my sins, my scarlet sins , be in number many , in weight most heavy , and for desert damnable , Yet O Jesus, my sweet Savior , I most entirely beseech thee, let not me that knocks at thy gates of mercy, with sighs, groans and tears be excluded : But forgive me, O forgive me, again and again I beseech thee forgive me, for there is mercy with thee, O Lord my God to forgive even crying sins unto the penitent sinner, although they have been died in the deepest grain of iniquity. O Jesus my sweet Savior , thou light of mine eyes , which hast pro •• sed to answer before I 〈◊〉 , and while I pray for to hear , O for pity then hear my prayers, and grant my petition, that thy crimson drops of precious blood which trickled down thy azure veins, may wash away my scarlet sins , O let mine eyes be as continual lavers to wash away the pollution of my sins , seeing tears be the best and sovereign 〈◊〉 balm to cure the wounds of my sin-bleeding soul: and therefore with a melting heart, and mourning eyes , I tremble at thy word , and am pricked when I am rebuked , and inflamed with burning zeal , when I am instructed to come unto thee, O my sweet Saviouri, that I may see thee, thou joy of my heart , and love thee thou life of my soul ; O let me find thee my hearts desire , and hold thee whom my soul loveth .
According unto the riches of thy mercies , thou hast promised to hear my petition , that whensoever I shall ask anything in thy name through faith, I shall obtain the same .
Oh therefore regard now O Lord, I most entirely beseech thee, thy gracious promises towards me , and behold the words of thine own mouth, the works and covenants of thine own hands, how thou hast sworn by an oath , and covenanted and indented with me, To put thy laws in my heart, write them in my mind, and remember my sins no more , but at what time soever I repented from the bottom of my heart, of all my sins, thou wilt forgive me all mine offenses , if they were as red as scarlet, thou wilt make them as white as snow : which covenant thou hast sealed with thy own most precious blood, and confirmed the same by thy death and passion on the Cross .
For whom thou hast suffered bitter bonds , cruel wounds , tormenting death and the grave : and withal, thou hast endued me with thy Image , that I should remember thee, graven me on the palm of thy hand , that thou shouldest not forget me, and called me in thy name , to make me a Christian,
Betrothed through faith , directed by thy word , and guided by thy holy Spirit , to enlighten my mind , cleanse my conscience , and rejoice my heart , to come unto thee my sweet Savior , O therefore, I most entirely beseech thee, O Lord, to keep me as the apple of thine eye , and cleanse me from all my sins , Oh, let me never be confounded , O Jesus of Nazareth O son of David , O fountain of mercy i, have mercy upon me.
I will forsake all my sins and cleave unto thee for mercy , that thou mayest save me : I had perished, hadst not thou which didst make me , renewed me again.
O how often would the Dragon have devoured me? but thou, O Lord my God , didst pluck me out of his mouth; how often have I sinned, and how often hath he been ready to swallow me up ? but thou O Lord hast defended me.
O Jesus my sweet Savior , thou madest man at the beginning after thine own Image , without sin, and therefore O Lord my God, , it was not man, but Satan, that was the author of sin, and through his Diabolical practice he doth daily tempt me therewith.
O therefore hold him fast good Lord, and bruise him in pieces , that he exercise his devices no longer upon me: For my sins, my grievous sins, do seem so grim and ugly in my sight, so base nad loathsome unto my mind, and so venomous unto my body, and soul, that, O Lord my God, the very stink thereof maketh me weary of all my sins, and utterly abhor and detest them.
And therefore my life , my Redeemer , my light , and only Savior . I do here from the bottom of my heart, by thine assistance, with all my force and might, forsake and loath my sins. And here I bequeath all my sins, and everyone of them unto Satan from whence they came; and I will also both now and evermore by thy help, O Lord, renounce, loath, and defy Satan, and all his works, both past, present, and for to come , and appeal unto thee, O Lord my God , from thy seat of justice , unto thy throne of mercy , beseeching thee mine all and only Savior whose arms were spread on the Cross , to embrace me and all penitent sinners , to have mercy on me, O Lord have mercy upon me; Oh nail my sins unto thy Cross, and bury them in thy grave that they may never rise up in judgment against me.
Now what shall I render unto thee, O my sweet and loving Savior o, for all that thou hast done for me: Sacrifices and burnt offerings thou wilt not have, but a contrite and broken heart, O Lord, thou hast promised not to despise .
Wherefore in token of my humblest devotion I owe unto thy most sacred self, with all humility I will give my dearest love unto thee my sweet Jesus , which art my light , my way , and my salvation , and what gift can be better, or more acceptable then my heart, unto my Maker , that made and redeemed it ? for it can find no rest until it come unto thee, to be refreshed with the sweet sight of thy cheerful countenance : wherefore my comfort , my Redeemer , my life , and only Savior , with all humility I prostrate myself before thy Majesty, most humbly beseeching thee to take it, oh take it, for it is thine, O Lord my God , it is thine.
Thou sufferedst thine own heart to be pierced for it , and didst but lend it me during thy pleasure, and should I then detain it from thee that hast so dearly bought it? oh no, no, I will reserve it only for thee.
To whom fitter may I bequeath my heart, then unto thee my sweet and loving Savior , which hast given thy self a ransom for it ?
Wherefore go thou O my heart, I have given thee unto God my Maker , and Redeemer , he created thee and he only shall have thee: Now thou art in God's keeping, thou mayest quietly pass thorough the gates of death, there is neither disquieting with sorrow for sin, nor with sin, which is beyond all sorrow; thou art there without the reach of thine adversary.
Whilst thou wast mine, thou wast a wandering, faithless, secure, carnal, and impenitent heart, (always infected with the poison of sin,) but being now thy Creators, he will apparel thee anew, adorning thee with the gifts of his Spirit, that being here clothed with the ornaments of his grace, thou mayest be transplanted unto the Kingdom of glory, Unto the which place, the Lord of his mercy bring me, through the mirits of his Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, he rendered all honor and glory, power and praise, might, Majesty, dignity, and dominion, both now and evermore, Amen.
In this prayer I do from the bottom of my heart, with all humility confess my sins unto my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, most entirely desiring him in his mercy, to give me his grace to return unto him by speedy repentance.
O Jesus Christ my sweet Savior, thou Son of God, which art most holy and most merciful, have mercy on me O Lord, for pity hear my prayers, and grant me petitions: I am a miserable and most wretched sinner, which from the crown of mine head unto the sole of my foot, have no soundness in me, but wounds, blaines, and putrifying sores of sin, which deserve thy wrath and indignation against me: but sweet Lord, have compassion upon me, and anoint my wounds with thine oil of mercy. O Lord, I come with a mourning heart, and weeping eyes, with my most earnest repentance, Oh reconcile my poor, wounded, and distressed soul slain with sin, unto thee, O Lord my God, upon the multitude of thy mercies, and with a contrite heart, with all humility, even with sighs, groans, and tears, most lamentably bewail my sins, and openly confess them unto thee O sweet Jesus to be more in number then the hairs of mine head, or sands in the Sea. Yet O my most merciful Savior, I beseech thee forgive me, O Lord forgive me, and give me grace to return unto thee by speedy repentance, which God grant me.